First paragraph (Teaser):

The Summit of the Americas is over...
but the repression continues:

*ST…PHANE PAQUET SENTENCED TO 9 MONTHS IN JAIL FOR WINDOW-SMASHING!*

*EIGHT POLITICAL PRISONERS STILL DETAINED IN RELATION WITH PROTESTS
AGAINST THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS!*

Rest of the text:

The Summit of the Americas is over...
but the repression continues:

*ST…PHANE PAQUET SENTENCED TO 9 MONTHS IN JAIL FOR WINDOW-SMASHING!*

*EIGHT POLITICAL PRISONERS STILL DETAINED IN RELATION WITH PROTESTS AGAINST THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS!*

Montreal, May 15th 2001. StÈphane Paquet who lives in Quebec city, was
arrested about one week after the Summit of the Americas (April 20-22). On
two occasions, Quebec's Court denied his request to be released from
prison. Today, StÈphane has received a sentence which sends out a warning
to those arrested and charged of what could be their future sentences in
their cases.

For having pleaded "guilty" to two criminal charges of "mischief of over
5000$" (smashing-windows including a bus stop shelter), and "participating
in a riot", StÈphane had been condemned to serve 9 months in Orsainville
detention center. Also, the Court sentenced StÈphane to a 3-year
probation, of which 18 months must be followed with a probation officer,
and which includes a repressive innovation that of if he's arrested for
participating in an "unlawful" demo during the term of his probation, he
will be automatically sentenced to 2-years in prison, as well as he must
do 150 hours of community work and visit the police station twice a month.

Take note that StÈphane Paquet's case was especially odious And StÈphane
has been targeted by the cops and the prosecution in order to make an
"example" out of him to intimidate all of us. The cops have been paying a
visit to StÈphane's own brother, in order to make him sign a declaration
denouncing StÈphane!

Also, the fact that StÈphane had been in Canada's Armed Forces, and the
fact that he was filmed wearing combat uniform during Quebec City's
protests, had seemed to make him the perfect candidate for punishing
treatment from the Court. During a previous court date, the judge went as
far as to call StÈphane a "vandal" and a "savage", accusations to which
the concerned individual had the guts to reply that he found the judge
with his little pencil he was writing with, more dangerous than himself!

After that the prosecutor's evidence included mass-media televised footage
from the CBC, Global TV, RDI, and also a picture printed in the Journal de
Quebec, on April 29, 2001, after which StÈphane's own lawyer suggested to
him to plead guilty to the two charges of "mischief under $5000". StÈphane
didn't seem to have anymore choice than to submit to his lawyer's advice.

StÈphane Paquet is the second individual to be sentenced in relation to
Quebec city's protests against the Summit of the Americas. The first one
was also a Quebec City resident, Jean-Pierre BÈlanger, who was condemned
to 6 months in jail for "death threats to a police officer". Jean-Pierre
was arrested by undercover police officers immediately after he left the
Quebec City hospital, where he had been treated for an injury caused by a
plastic bullet. An injury so serious that it created a wound in which it
was possible to see the bone of his ankle.

Jean-Pierre is presently detained at the RiviËre-des-Prairies detention
centre because he is awaiting trial in two other cases that are not linked
with his political activities. He will be returning to Quebec's detention
centre, better known under the name of Orsainville prison, sometime during
the week.

Vaugh Barnett, prisoner of conscience detained since April 22nd

Vaghn Barnett is a resident of Fredericton, in the province of
New-Brunswick, who's familiar enough with the law for having studied it.
Vaughn was arrested Sunday April 22nd when the Summit was about to come to
a close, after he managed to peacefully penetrate the inside of the
security perimeter. Once inside, police officers physically blocked his
way. Vaughn didn't resist his arrest.

In an interview published in the Fredericton Daily Gleaner (May 3th 2001),
Vaghn explained the meaning he gave to his action: "I felt I had a moral
and constitutional right to take those few steps" (...) "I felt the fence
was unlawful and was preventing people from having a say in another
process that was undemocratic and unlawful in both substance and process."

Police charged Vaghn with "obstructing police work". But later, a charge
of "assaulting a police officer" was also added. In Orsainville prison,
the administration told Vaghn that he would get out without any bail if he
would only agree to sign a promise to appear. Vaughn declined, because he
desired to question the legality of his arrest in court.

During his first court appearance through video, Vaghn declared that he
wished to represent himself, that he needed more time to prepare his
defense and that in order to do that, he needed a copy of the Canadian
Criminal Code. The court replied that it wasn't its problem and that he
should manage himself about getting a copy of the Criminal Code, and told
Vaghn to be ready to reappear again the next day.

Following that, Vaughn appeared via video, two days after and declared to
the court that he wished to question the whole process---the lack of a
Criminal Code, the court appearances through video and the abuse of
process in his arrest and incarceration.

The judge replied to him that he wanted to deal with other things,
otherwise said, imposing a 200$ bail even though the crown prosecutor
didn't present any evidence on the need to ask for such a bail. Vaugh had
hardly had the time to open his mouth when the judge just said: "Next!".

Realizing that the court just denied him his right to a bail hearing as
well as the proceution taken against him, Vaughn then refused 200$ that
the legal collective just deposed for him for his bail. The lastest news
we have (May 8th) is that Vaughn has sent many memos about his legal
situation to the Orsainville administration - which is the only way to
communicate with them: to try to find out about eligibility to be
released. He had little sucess since only one of the many memos were
answered.

Vaughn seems to be treated differently by the Orsainville administration
in regard with the other inmates, including the other political prisoners
of the Summit of the Americas. An example of this is that Vaughn is the
only prisoner who has not been be given his clothes, forcing him to wear a
sleeveless sweater as well as a pair of slippers which cause him pains in
his legs that sometimes wake him up during the night.

But this shouldn't surprise anyone since Vaughn Barnett is exactly the
type of inmate that the justice system loves to persecute: he knows the
law and he uses it to demonstrate how the system is flouting the law for
its own advantage.

The imprisonment of Vaughn Barnett, StÈphane Paquet and Jean-Pierre
BÈlanger, adds up with the Germinal 5, who've been arrested last April
17th et 18th and detained at Orsainville since then. Mario Bertoncini,
Alex Boissoneault, Roman Pokorski, Victor Quentin and Serge VallÈe face
harsh accusations of "conspiracy to commit mischief that could present a
real danger to the lives of people", "possession of explosives with
dangerous intent", and "theft and concealment of military equipment of a
value less that $5000".

Two other members of the Germinal organization were released on April 23rd
but they still face the same charges. Everything indicates that the RCMP
and the SQ (Quebec's provincial police), who had infiltrated the Germinal
organization with undercover cops months before, have been manipulating
the whole situation in order to create a mass-media hype enabling them to
justify themselves and their security measures which have been criticized
by everybody.

In short:
-9 months in jail for having broken windows of which represent a
system that destroys lives;
-6 months in jail for "death threats" against police officers whom are
never hesitatant to cover-up their own acts;
-23 days of pre-trial detention for refusing to submit to an illegal and
unconstitutional process imposed by the judicial system;
-27 days of pre-trial detention for having refused to play the role of
defenseless martyrs in Quebec City in front of an army of cops armed
to the teeth;

So, does the Quebecois justice system still look fabulous to you?

SUPPORT ALL THE 8 POLITICAL PRISONERS OF THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS!

... because it could have been you

DON'T ABANDON THE POLITICAL HOSTAGES OF AN AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENT!

... because if we don't, our struggle is already defeated

WRITE LETTERS OF SUPPORT TO THE POLITICAL PRISONERS OF THE SUMMIT OF THE
AMERICAS!

Write the name AND the date of birth on the envelope, and address your
letter to one of the following:

StÈphane Paquet, 15.2.80
Mario Bertoncini, 04.2.78
Alex Boissonneault, 14.4.79
Roman Pokorski, 09.11.78
Victor Quentin, 23.2.80
Serge VallÈe, 03.8.79

(the author regretS that he couldn't have the date of birth of Vaughn
Barnett and Jean-pierre bÈlanger at the moment that this was written)

Mail your letters to the following address:

Centre de dÈtention de QuÈbec
500, rue de la Faune
C.P. 7130
Charlesbourg, QuÈbec
G1G 5E4 Canada

Never forget that all mail to prisoners can be opened by guards, so be
careful about what you write.

If you want to be assured about getting an answer, we advised you to
include a pre-stamped envelope with your letter. Administrative rules at
Orsainville prison are very strict. If you send magazines or newspapers,
they must be authorized by the supervisors before being forwarded to
prisoners. As for books, don't bother even thinking about it. The guards
can even confiscate photocopies of newspaper articles, according to their
content.

To send funds to support the Germinal Movement, make a check in the name
of Me. Yanik Sevigny, and mail it to the following address:

Yanik Sevigny
2265 Pie IX, #1
Montreal, Quebec
H1V 2E6 Canada

To communicate directly with the Germinal Movement,
Send an e-mail to: germ...@hotmail.com